Smarkets Novices' Hurdle

Off time: 14:00 | Winning time: 4m 35.4s

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Selected odds by:

Mont Des Avaloirs^h⁴⁶

Age: 5| Weight: 11-6| J: H Cobden| T: P F Nicholls| OR: 137| BF| D

1/6

Handles testing ground and clearly has the strongest form in this field. winning at Aintree in December and making the frame in the Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle and the Grade 2 Dovecote in his two starts since. Should prove very tough to beat.

Form: 2-1F134

The King Of May²⁸

Age: 4| Weight: 11-6| J: Henry Brooke| T: B Ellison| OR: 125

10/1

Made the frame in a Listed Musselburgh juvenile contest on his British/stable debut and was sent off at just 12-1 for the Fred Winter at the Cheltenham Festival last month. Ran well before weakening up the hill, goes on soft and no forlorn hope.

Form: 5-61130

Mon Eldorado^t1⁹⁸

Age: 6| Weight: 11-0| J: S Bowen| T: P & M Bowen

7/1

Yet to win but showed some promise on his hurdles debut at Chepstow in November for Christian Williams. Not as good last time and now makes debut for this stable in tongue-strap. Improved effort possible and he will need one to win this.

Form: 63-639

Run For Eva^h¹³

Age: 5| Weight: 10-7| J: Patrick Cowley⁽⁵⁾| T: Laura Morgan

200/1

66-1 and pulled up on hurdle debut and needs a lot of improvement on what we have seen under both codes to make any impact in this field.

Form: 080-5P

Forecasts

Mont Des Avaloirs (1/6), Mon Eldorado (7/1), The King Of May (10/1), Run For Eva (200/1)

The King Of May ran well for a long way at Cheltenham last month before tiring up the hill and should still have improvement in him, but off level weights here it is not easy to oppose MONT DES AVALOIRS, who has proved to be the best of these to date and can defy his penalty to win again. Mon Eldorado can chase them home.